Jan. 8, 2013 story: A Las Cruces tree trimmer remains hospitalized at University Medical Center in El Paso after getting shocked while on the job.

This is the second serious accident in six months for Craig Benavidez, 52.

His mother, Martha Romero, told ABC-7 his recovery is "a miracle."

"It was a miracle. Surviving the bees, and then, he was covered with the bees, and then this," Romero said.

It was in July of last year when Romero watched her son survive hundreds of stings from Africanized bees while trimming trees. She said he returned to work just a week later.

Now, Romero said Benavidez is bouncing back from another frightening incident.

"I could hear him screaming and yelling. That's what really upset me. But he's fine, thanks to God. He's fine," she said.

In video sent to ABC-7 by a viewer, Las Cruces firefighters rescued Benavidez from the tree minutes after he was shocked by a nearby power line on Monday.

A coworker who witnessed it all said Benavidez is experienced with working in dangerous situations.

"It's a mistake. On his behalf, he got careless up there. Because we were barely talking about the wires and how dangerous it is. He was giving us a lecture about them before he got up there. I guess it just took that one split second, wrong move. It could have been a slip," Ruben Gutierrez said.

Romero said it's nerve-wracking every time her son goes to work, but she would never keep him from it.

"That's what he's known all his life and he loves it. He loves being up in the trees," she said.

Romero said Benavidez's doctors think he could go home any day now.

She said he can't wait to get back up in a tree.

Copyright 2015 KVIA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.